An example of a disc cramp device of a conventional disc reproducer is shown in FIG. 5. A disc motor 2 is fixed to a reproduction part chassis 1 shown in the drawing, and a turn table 3 is fixed to a rotating shaft of the disc motor 2.
A cramper arm 10 is rotatably supported at the reproduction part chassis 1, and is rotated in the direction A in the drawing by a drive mechanism not shown. The cramper arm 10 supports a cramper 6, and at a uncramping time in the state shown in FIG. 5, it lifts the cramper 6 to above the turn table 3.
In the state shown in FIG. 5, when a disc (not shown) is transferred between the turn table 3 and the cramper 6, a cramping operation of the disc is performed in such a manner that the cramper arm 10 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction to press the cramper 6 to make the turn table 3 and the cramper 6 sandwich the disc to hold it.
The conventional disc cramp device shown in FIG. 5 has the problem that a height “a” of a space in which the disc can be transferred is small with respect to a height H of the entire device during the uncramping time since the cramper is inclined during the uncramping time.
Another example of the conventional disc cramp device is shown in FIG. 6. In FIG. 6, the components having the same functions as those shown in FIG. 5 are given the same reference numerals and symbols and the detailed explanation will be omitted. In this example, an upper chassis 11 holding the cramper 6 is supported by the reproduction part chassis 1 to be movable up and down, and by the slider 12 moving in the direction B shown in the drawing, the upper chassis 11 is driven in an up-and-down direction (the direction C shown in the drawing).
In the conventional disc cramp device shown in FIG. 6, the cramper is held horizontally during the uncramping time, and therefore a height “b” of the space in which the disc can be transferred can be made large with respect to the height H of the entire device during the uncramping time, but there arises the problem that the number of components of a vertically driving mechanism of the upper chassis 11 increases, and the production cost becomes high as the result.
On the other hand, a disc cramp device proposed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 9-17081 is constructed by adopting the structure in which the cramp arm is made by fastening an elastically deformable plate spring member to a rigid member so that a cramper is held by the plate spring member, and the rigid member is rotated, whereby a cramping and uncramping operations are performed, and a cramper stopping member restricts the movement of the cramper in a direction away from the turn table to elastically deform the plate spring member during the uncramping time.
According to this disc cramp device, height of a space in which the disc is transferred is made large with respect to the height of the entire device, and the number of components can be decreased. However, since this device adopts the structure in which the rigid member presses the plate member while holding it at only one side during a cramping time, there arise the problems that the plate thickness of the plate spring member has to be made larger in order to add large pressure to the cramper, and that a large driving force is required to elastically deform the plate spring member during the uncramping time.
This invention is made in view of the above-described points, and has its object to provide the disc cramp device with a simple construction and the smaller number of components, in which a large height of the space in which the disc is transferred can be secured with respect to the height of the entire device, and only a small driving force is required in the cramping and uncramping operations.